Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 220 Isn’t that sudden at all?

The hills covered with green grass were full of small yellow and pink flowers, like a colorful carpet. A majestic oak tree stood among the auras of magic elements. Under the lush shade, a circle of vibrant herbs surrounded it. They were of different shapes and personalities. Some even grew in very different habits and environments, but at this moment, they all gathered together. Some held their flower pots and looked around; some pulled their roots out of the soil and walked like human feet; sometimes they lowered their heads and remained silent, as if thinking about something; sometimes they talked to other herbs around them, whispering... If you close your eyes and ignore their appearance, you will think you have entered a human gathering place and heard all kinds of discussions.

"Why did Mrs. Shu suddenly call everyone over?"

"I don't know. I was just sleeping and dreamed that I was dating a little butterfly."

"Then you really should wake up. You are just a blade of grass, not a flower."

"Could it be that the Night Watch is going to attack the inn?!"

"It's so scary. I'm going to run away from my family first."

"You're done for. The boss lady is right there. I'm going to report you for deserting the battlefield!"

"That's right, who would be family to a coward like you? Bah! Bah! Bah!"

"What, you dare to slander me? Do you want to fight?"

"These guys are too noisy." Little Sun, who led them here, although mentally the same as a child, was already a big kid of eight or nine years old. He was not as childish as the other potions, so he did not join in their nonsense. He just said with a headache: "I shouldn't have called them here."

"Wow, you dare to hit my face. Even Shemy has never hit my face. I won't forgive you! Aaaaaaaa!"

"So," on the other side, Shelia looked around and didn't see the figure she wanted to see. Her heroic eyebrows slightly frowned, "Where is Mrs. Shu?"

"Come on, I'm not afraid of you! Whoa, watch out!"

……

They had been in the Sosen Mountains looking for the mysterious castle for several days, but no news had been sent back. This matter involved her sister and Xiaoxia, so it was impossible for her to say that she was not anxious. At the same time, Xie Liya believed that her sister must be very anxious, but her personality was always gentle and strong, and she would not easily show it.

When Xiao Yang said that the long-time secluded Madam Shu wanted to see her, Shelia stopped her work without hesitation and followed her elder sister Shesta to the herb garden. Not only because Madam Shu was a respectable elder, but also because she had a vague feeling that what Madam Shu was going to say might be related to Lingge and his group who were still stranded in the Sosen Mountains.

"It's okay." The proprietress, Shesta, who was standing in front, said with a smile, "Lively is a good thing. Since it was Madam Shu who asked you to call them over, it means that she also likes this lively atmosphere, right?"

Little Sun shook his head: "I hope so."

Most of these potions, which had grown excessively due to the nourishment of abundant magical elements and had gradually developed self-awareness, still had the minds of children. When they gathered together, they created a noise even noisier than that of a human market. There were even some differences of opinion between two potions during the friendly language exchanges, and they were now waving their roots and branches and wrestling with each other, enthusiastically exchanging their understanding of life.

Mrs. Tree is a mysterious and powerful magician. Maybe she has a way to know the news of Lingge and others. Moreover, she took the initiative to give Metien one of the most important props in this adventure, the "Plant Disaster Star". There must be some connection between them. As for what kind of connection it is...

"I do not know."

The little sun spread out its two leaves, just like a human spreading out his palms, with an expression that said, "I want to know too." Yes, although this thing is a little more reliable than other magical plants, it is only a little bit. Expecting it to play a role is a wrong idea from the beginning.

Shelia shook her head helplessly, and Shesta turned back to comfort her sister: "Don't worry, Shelia, wait patiently, maybe Mrs. Shu will be here soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard an old and peaceful voice coming from the direction of the oak tree: "Sorry to have kept you waiting."

The potions that had been noisy and even fighting just now immediately quieted down when they heard the voice. Those who were chatting stopped chatting, and those who were fighting stopped fighting. They all quickly returned to their seats. Their well-behaved appearance made people wonder if the noise they had heard before was just an illusion.

Shesta and Shelia looked in the direction of the voice and saw the Tree Lady walking towards them. She was holding many things in her hands, which were as thin as dead branches. There was a stack of thick books, a glass bottle filled with emerald green liquid, a small wooden box with unknown contents, and a staff with white bird feathers tied at the end. The dry vines were wrapped around it, making it look like it had just been broken off the tree.

So many things were obviously a heavy burden for an elderly person, so she walked very slowly. Seeing this, the two traveller fairies hurried over to help. Shesta carefully supported the old woman's arm to provide support for her hunched and thin body; while Shelia took the things in her arms and suddenly felt her body sink. She found that they were heavier than she had imagined, and asked curiously: "Madam Tree, what are these things?"

Mrs. Shu smiled slightly and said, "These are the gifts I left for you, right?"

She pointed at the things in Xie Liya's arms with her skinny fingertips and counted them one by one: "These books were all written by me. Some of them are about the experience of magic. If you want to learn more magic, it should be helpful. The other part is about the knowledge of plant cultivation. Haha, I like to study this when I have nothing to do. If you don't mind, you can take it out and take a look. Whether it is ordinary plants or magical plants, there are records in it."

"These are plant culture agents I developed myself. They are very useful for the little guys in the underground garden. Add them according to the proportion when watering. They can improve their absorption efficiency of magic power and shorten the growth cycle. But be careful not to use too much, otherwise it will be harmful. I have also left the instructions and formula in the book. If the finished product is used up or you encounter something you don't understand, just open the book and look for it. It shouldn't be difficult for you."

"In this box, there are some... seeds. They are violet seeds. I wanted to plant them a long time ago, but I could never find the right opportunity. Now, I don't know if they can still sprout, so I entrust them to you. If you don't want to plant them, but you meet the right person, please give them to her for me. Also, tell her that since you like them, you should find a way to keep them alive no matter what. Only by breaking the soil can you see how beautiful this world is."

At this point, she sighed softly, as if she thought of something sad, but she recovered quickly and pointed to the last thing and said, "As for this staff, I polished it with a branch of my own after I embarked on the road of magic. It has been with me for nearly a thousand years. Now, it can barely be considered a holy relic. Shesta, I have been gathering my lost magic power to maintain the maze you set up and block the tracking of the Night Watch. But after I leave, no one can do the same thing. At that time, you can leave this staff in the herb garden. It will play a similar role, but the effect may not be so obvious, so you must be more careful, so that you can survive under the eyes and ears of the Night Watch. This is a very difficult thing, but I believe you can do it..."

"Wait, Mrs. Tree?" Xie Liya finally reacted after hearing this, and opened her eyes wide in disbelief: "You mean, you want to leave the hotel?"

"Yeah, didn't Little Sun mention this to you guys?"

Shelia immediately turned her eyes to Little Sun, but the latter turned his head away, instinctively avoiding her sight. This attitude was not an answer, but it could also explain something. The potion players who were originally just watching quietly suddenly exploded, making the scene even more noisy than before. Some blamed Little Sun for not saying such an important thing earlier; some asked Mrs. Tree, wanting to know if this was a joke; others placed their hopes on Shelia and Shesta, looking at the two with expectant and pleading eyes, hoping that they could persuade Mrs. Tree to change her mind.

Almost all the magical herbs in this herb garden were planted and cultivated by Mrs. Tree herself. She has deep feelings for her, so it is difficult for her to accept such a thing.

Not to mention them, Xie Liya herself found it hard to accept. She had no time to investigate Little Sun's little thoughts, let alone calm the mood of these magic herbs. After retracting her gaze, she said to the old man beside her anxiously: "Are you really going to leave, Madam Tree? Can you think about it again? With the existence of the Night Watch and the Balance of Order, the outside world is also very dangerous for you. Besides, this decision... is too sudden."

It happened so suddenly that no one was mentally prepared for the shock and they almost suspected they were hallucinating.

"Do not."

Suddenly someone said, "It's not sudden at all."

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)